Halia Granger: Third Year
by xOmudbloodprincessxO
Summary: The Mathoy twins have disapeared. A Gryfinndor turns a tratior. Harry and Hermione are still hiding their love. Luna is pregnant. An orb is going around trying to kill Haley and her friends. What a weird 3rd year. Few HBP spoilers Feb 16th, 2006 update.
1. The Note

Chapter One

Halia woke up on the morning of her thirteenth birthday, August 21st. She sighed happily, got out of bed, and twirled around.

"I'm a teenager!" she was chanting. Just then, she realized there was a snowy owl outside on her windowsill, accompanied by a twittering little hyper thing called Pig. She opened the window and let Pig fall in before Hedwig flew in and took her usual spot on the post of Haley's Headboard.

"Is Hedwig here?" Hermione said, swinging the door open. Halia nodded.

"Why?" she asked.

"Harry was supposed to send me something."

Hermione should have been at her flat in London with her roommate, Ginny, but she was visiting her old home for a few days, until her little sister Haley got to Hogwarts. Though she wouldn't admit it, everyone knew Hermione had a crush on Harry, except Harry himself. In Haley's second year, Ron had tried to make Hermione kiss Harry on the lips, but his plan failed and instead she went toppling into Sherry.

Haley snapped out of her memories and took the parcel and letter tied to Hedwig's leg.

"Yeah. Here's a letter for you…" She threw it over to Hermione, who rushed out of the room with it in her hand. Haley tore open her own parcel, and out dropped a box of Honeydukes chocolate and a book entitled "Quidditch Through The Ages". These were from Sherry and Harry.

Next, she took the small brown wrapped package that was weighing down Pig. She gave the two owls an Owl Treat each, and they flew out the window and into the blue sky. In Ron's, Ginny's, and the rest of the Weasley's package was a 24-pack of chocolate frogs.

Ten days later, Haley was on Platform nine and three quarters with Ron, Hermione, Harry, Sherry, and Marina.

"Okay, bye you guys!" Hermione said, leaning down to hug each thirteen-year-old girl in turn. She hugged Haley the tightest, and Haley felt something drop into the messenger bag she was carrying, but she ignored it. Hermione turned to Harry and hugged him, too.

"Hermione, God, we go to Auror School together!"

"I know." she whispered. Everybody looked quizzically at them.

"LAST CALL!" shouted the conductor. Haley, Marina, and Sherry waved good-bye to the others and walked into the train.

"Same compartment as usual?" Sherry asked. Her two best friends nodded. They walked down the corridor and turned into the compartment. Haley put her messenger bag on the table as the train started to move. The three girls sat in silence for a few moments. The door slid open, and there stood Daniel Mathoy, his friends Greed and Crab standing behind him. Mathoy was rather dim; he had blonde hair that was sleeked back, much like Harry's archenemy, Malfoy's, once was. Haley closed her eyes, wishing he would just disappear.

"Go away, Mathoy."

"Make me, Mudblood. How'd you get the best compartment on the train?"

"We just did."

"Move. I want to sit here."

"You're so stupid, little Blondie," Haley pried his hand off of the door and slid it shut.

"God, he's so annoying!" Marina exclaimed. "Why can't he just leave us alone?"

"It's not in his nature." There was a knock on the door this time, and Haley didn't even get up. "Ugh. Go away, Mathoy!"

"Last time I checked I had brown hair, and I wasn't a Slytherin brat," it wasn't Mathoy's voice; it was Alex Edgecombe's, Haley's crush. She sprang up and opened the door.

"HI!" she said. Behind her, Sherry and Marina were smirking. Surprisingly, Alex was alone. He was one of the more popular students in the school, and usually had his friends trailing him. Like Halia, he was in Ravenclaw.

"Hi…Could I, err, stay here for a few minutes? These first years are chasing me…" he said. Haley smiled back at her friends and smiled at Alex.

"Sure," she took her place next to Marina. Alex awkwardly sat next to Sherry.

"How was your summer?" Marina asked Alex.

"Not to bad. We visited our old neighbours from America," he told us. He was born in America, and lived there until he was 10. Haley liked his American accent. A noise outside the cabin made the teenagers jump. Voices arose.

"Where'd he go?" one voice, a girls, said.

"I don't know, I saw him run this way!" another girl said.

"Fine, Gina, you knock on the doors of the compartments and see if he's in any of them!"

"Okay…" a different girl, obviously Gina, said, and they heard a knock next door.

"Aw, crap. I'd better go and take refuge somewhere else," Alex muttered. He got up, opened the door, and bolted.

"THERE HE IS! GET HIM!" one of the 1st years screamed. Haley shook her head and closed the door.

"Do you think he likes me?"

"Ooh, yes, Hal, I'm sure he does. I could tell he wanted to snog you to death," Sherry said sarcastically. Haley laughed falsely.

"How long do you think we have left?" Marina asked. Haley and Sherry shrugged.

"Dunno, but I'm hungry. I wish the cart would pass," Sherry said, and at that moment, the Cart Lady, as she was called, opened the door.

"Would you like anything, dears?"

Five minutes later, there were wrappers of candy everywhere. Haley reached into the front pocket of her bag and withdrew not the book she was looking for, but a piece of parchment. She tilted her head and folded it open.

Dear Hermione 

_The wedding is planned for this Saturday. Have you told your sister about it? I'm sure she'd understand**…**Sherry wouldn't. Which is why I haven't told her. Anyway, what is your dress going to look like? Uh…Luna wants to know so she can coordinate. _

_Yours, Harry_

This was odd. What would Haley understand? It sounded to her like Harry and Hermione were getting married or something. The Luna part she could understand, seeing as how they shared an apartment, right across from Ginny, Ron, and Hermione**…**She gave the letter to Sherry, who read it over, who gave it to Marina. After she finished, everyone started at the piece of parchment.

"Who do we know that could be getting married…?" Haley asked.

"Cho Chang? Harry's ex-girlfriend?" Sherry suggested.

"Maybe…" Haley answered.

"Hah. Ginny and Neville," Marina said.

"Uh, no. Ginny's hardly legal," Sherry ruled that one out.

"Maybe it's them that are getting married!" The three of them looked at the note once more.

"Gina Travolta," The headmistress, Professor McGonagall, said one of the crazy girl's names, and she walked up to the stool. Haley hoped it was anything but Ravenclaw.

"I hope she's not a Ravenclaw" she mentioned to Marina, who was sitting next to her. (Sherry was a Gryffindor)

"RAVENCLAW!" the hat shouted. Haley gave an annoyed sigh as Gina ran over to the Ravenclaw tables and took the empty space next to Alex, who was surrounded by his popular friends. Haley could see Alex inch away from her.

Halia sighed. This was going to be an odd year at Hogwarts.


	2. Alex, Alex, Alex

A/N: If you actually read and review, I know they give the schedules the first morning, but in this story McGonagall does things different, okay? Oh, and I smell writer's block coming on…that sucks…Thank you. 

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, never did, never will.

Chapter two 

McGonagall dismissed the Houses after the Welcoming Feast. Haley said goodnight to Sherry, who walked with her to the Tower, because Marina had to talk with a teacher.

Silently, she walked into the common room and sat at one of the couches. Someone sat next to Halia; she turned to see if it was Marina, but it wasn't. It was Alex.

"Hey," she said casually.

"Hi,"

"What's up?"

"Oh, that Gina girl keeps following me everywhere. Thank God her friends are in Hufflepuff, otherwise I'd die…" he told her. Haley nodded in agreement.

"Could I-err-see your schedule?" she asked timidly.

"If I can see yours," he grinned. She gave him her piece of parchment, and he gave her his. She read it over. _Divination…good. Care of magical creatures…and Arithmancy and all the regular courses, _Haley talked to herself in her mind. She handed his parchment back. Her heart skipped a beat as she realized he was still grinning.

"Welcome, welcome. My name is Professor Trelawney. I will help you look beyond!"

Haley let out a snicker and managed to turn it into a violent cough.

"My Dear, I see you as a…bridesmaid…in the future!"

Haley looked at her like she was an idiot.

The first day flew by, and Haley was exhausted by dinnertime. Instead of taking her usual spot at the Ravenclaw table, she sat next to Sherry at the Gryffindor one.

"Oh my God, I've already got loads of homework and it's only Monday!" she exclaimed as she helped herself to some broccoli.

"I know…and Divination looks so dumb…" Sherry replied. Just then, an owl, Hedwig, flew in through the window and landed near Haley. This was odd, because owls usually came in the morning. She ignored this fact and pushed aside a bowl of carrot stew to get to the snow-white owl. On the front of the envelope, there was messy manuscript, obviously written hurriedly.

_Halia Granger and Sherry Potter, Great Hall, Hogwarts. _

"It's addressed to both of us!" Haley said. She started to rip open the envelope, but Sherry stopped her.

"Wait till after dinner!" she said. Haley sighed and put the parchment beside her plate. After dinner was dismissed, Haley rushed up to Gryffindor Tower with Sherry (Marina went straight to Ravenclaw), Sherry muttered the password, and went into the common room. Halia ripped open the envelope, and the letter fell out.

_Okay, guys, don't freak out, but I'm going on a…well, I guess you could say date…with Harry…Oh my God…Why am I writing this? _

_Love, Hermione _

"That was_ weird_…" Haley mumbled. She looked at the letter once more…

Was that what the wedding was about? Who's wedding is it? Is it even a wedding? Find out in the next chapter!

A/N again: Did I warn you about how crappy my cliffies always are? Oh, I didn't? Well, I have crappy cliffies. There, I warned you. See ya next chapter!


	3. A Visit to London

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, etc, etc…

Authors Note: I feel bad…I already made chapter four. I couldn't help it! The voices! Okay then. I'll just make this a long chapter, cause you have to read this to understand the fourth one. Enjoy!

Chapter Three

Haley opened yet another letter that was delivered to her on two mornings after., during breakfast. This time it was a better-written letter.

Dear Haley 

_There is a 3-day break coming up, correct? Would you like to come and stay at my flat? All of my friends are just dying to see you. Sherry is invited, too, and Marina can come if her parents say its alright. Oh, and about the date. Yeah, um, Harry and I are now going out. Secretly. So you cannot tell anyone. Okay? Okay. Get back to me ASAP._

_Love, Hermione_

Haley smiled. She would be happy to visit them. She gave the letter to Sherry, who read it over.

"Hey Marina? Do you want to come to Hermione's and Harry's flats with us during the break?" Haley asked Marina when they were in the common room after dinner.

"Can't, my mum is dragging Draco back home for the break, and we're going skiing in France. Too bad, really…" she trailed off. Haley sighed and went back to her own Potions homework. She looked up five minutes later. Looking past the blonde hair of Marina, she noticed Alex sitting with his friends near the fire.

Just a few inches away from this group, Gina was sitting with a book. The book was upside down, and Haley could tell she was really watching Alex with interest. Not to far from Haley, another one of the 3rd years, Allah, was playing chess with some 2nd year.

"Should I just ask him out yet?" Haley turned back to Marina, but Marina was gone. Halia sighed, picked up her messagenger bag, and headed out of the portrait hole for a walk. As soon as it shut, it she heard it open and shut again. Before she went down one of the staircases, she looked behind her shoulder and saw Alex and a red-head girl holding hands while walking down the hall. She bit her lip and ran downstairs as fast as she could.

"All students leaving for the break on the Hogwarts Express are to report to the Entrance Hall in five minutes. I repeat, all students leaving report to the Entrance Hall in no less then five minutes," McGonagall's voice boomed out over the whole school.

"'Bye Marina! Tell your brother we said hi!" Halia said, waving at Marina before the portrait hole closed. She tried to get past the crowd of people in the hallway to get to Gryfinndor Tower with her luggage, but ended up pulling out her wand, conjuring up a stink bomb, and letting it clear the path. "STINK BOMB!" she shouted. People yelped as they got near it and turned around. Haley smiled and walked through the nearly empty corridor while holding her nose.

She knocked on the portrait in front of the Gryffindor common room, The Fat Lady, and Sherry came tumbling out with a bunch of others. Haley helped her best friend up and together they went down the stairs and into the Entrance Hall. Haley could tell the doors were open without even looking above the heads of people before her; she could feel the somewhat chill early October air already.

Finally they were out on the grounds. The bright afternoon sun blinded Haley, and the wind was bitterer then it was inside. They followed everyone out of the gates and into Hogsmeude Station, where the scarlet Hogwarts Express was already bellowing its smoke. Haley and Sherry handed their luggage to the conductor, who walked away to load it.

"Shall we find a compartment, then?" Sherry asked cheerfully.

"Yes, we shall." They walked along the corridor until they found an empty one. A few moments later, the train lurched, and they were off.

The door slid open just after Haley was about to tell Sherry what she saw with Alex and that redhead. Mathoy and his, Haley supposed, girlfriend were standing in the doorway. The girl still had Hogwarts robes on. She had long black hair that was put up in a ponytail, tanned skin, and long black-painted fingernails that were gripping Mathoy's hand.

"Mathoy, do you have to bother us?" Sherry said.

"There are no other compartments around. As much as it pains me, you are the only one that has invisible half breeds in it, so I have to sit here," he said, and took his girlfriend and sat down next to Haley. She sighed and scooted to the very edge of the seat, by the window.

"Why don't you go sit by that prat of a twin sister you have?" She said, narrowing her eyes at the sound of the name. Elisabeth was just as bad as Daniel, even though she didn't look anything like him. In the second year, she had stepped on Haley's arm, breaking it, after a Quidditch game because Haley caught the snitch before Daniel did.

"That _prat_ didn't let me," he said.

"Whatever. Are you going to introduce this…person to us, then?"

"Um, n-" Haley put her wand on the table between the two seats "of course. This is Jacey Haffens…my girlfriend…"

Haley grinned solidly to herself. Ever since Haley had cursed both the Mathoy twins in second year with a Jelly Legs Jinx, they were afraid to go anywhere near her when she had a wand.

As soon as the train stopped, Sherry opened the door, and Haley pushed Mathoy out along with his girlfriend. Just for the fun of it, she cursed Mathoy again, with the same jinx, and his legs went limp. Haley smirked as she saw from the corner of her eye Jacey try to hold him up.

"Haley!" exclaimed Hermione when the girls met her on the other side of the platform. "Sherry! How _are _you?" she took each one in a tight hug.

"How are we getting to the flat?" Sherry asked.

"Why, we're Disapparating, of course!" Hermione said.

"Um, Hermione, we're only 13. We've got 3 years to wait for our licenses," Haley interrupted. "

"Well…yes, I know that dear, I'm taking you with me!" she pulled Haley and Sherry out of the station and walked around to the dumpster she Apparated behind when she got there. "Hold on to my arms." Sherry took her right arm while Halia took the left. Hermione closed her eyes, and next thing Haley knew, it was black and she felt a jerk on her lower back.

The black disappeared, and light came in around the three witches. They were in the hallway outside of numbers 332 and 334. Hermione went over to 332, whipped out her wand, and said, 'Alahomora'.

"Hermione, couldn't you have just used a key?" Haley said.

"Yes, but Ron has it right now," she replied as she swung open the door.

"So girls, where do you want to go for dinner?" she asked.

The next day, Haley woke up at ten o'clock to find Ginny sitting at the kitchen counter, eating breakfast.

"Oh! You're awake!" she said. "Okay, well, since you can't use magic outside of school, you can just make cereal or whatever. Oh, Hermione took Sherry to breakfast. I've got to go grocery shopping!" she apparated out of the flat before Haley could speak. She tilted her head. After she ate breakfast, she got dressed and went across the hall to Harry and Luna's apartment.

She knocked, and it wasn't Harry or Luna that opened, it was Neville Longbottom, one of the old Gryffindor students.

"Err…Hi?" Haley said timidly.

"I'll go get Harry."

"Hi Haley! Come on in!" Harry said, and pulled her in. A few seconds later, Ron busted the door open and charged in. He showed all of them what he was holding; a pregnancy test.

"Wh-where'd you find it?" Neville asked.

"In my apartment's trash can. Now"

Dun, dun, da dun. Who's test was it? What does Ron say next? You will find out…in the next chapter. Which I will post right after I post this.


	4. Pregnancy Tests and Weddings

Chapter Four

"Which one of you got my baby sister pregnant?" Ron said, holding up the pregnancy test. He looked at Harry, Dean and Neville, three of his old roommates and three of the guys that have dated his sister.

"Don't look at me, I've never slept with Ginny!" Harry exclaimed.

"I-I didn't either!" Dean stammered.

"That leaves…Neville," Haley butted in. Ron stared at Haley for a split second, dropped the test, then turned to Neville and pushed him against the wall. At this point, the door of the apartment swung open, and Ginny walked in.

"I just got some groceries for you guys…Oh my God, Ron, what are you doing?" she put the bags on the counter. Ron let go of Neville and went over to where the 'positive' test was laying on the floor.

"This!" Ron said, and showed it to Ginny.

"Oh, I'd be really worried if it was mine!" she said cheerily. "Where'd you find it?"

"You mean you're-Neville didn't get you- it's not yours?" Ron stammered. Ginny nodded. "I found it in the bathroom over in my apartment…If it's not yours, then…is it Hermione's?" Ron turned to the guys again, and Haley felt like she should leave. After all, she would be accused of anything that happened between her big sister and her big sister's secret boyfriend.

"Harry, name the people you have slept with in the past three months," Ron interrogated.

"No one! I swear!" he said. Ron looked at Neville and Dean. "Oh no…no, no, no," Ron mumbled.

"Can we go now?" asked Neville. Ron nodded, and both of them scurried out of the flat.

"What's wrong?" Haley asked him.

"It's just that…the other night…Luna, she…she…"

"Oh my God, Ron! How many times have you slept with Luna, without protection?" Ginny exclaimed, slightly shaking Ron's shoulders. At this point, a pop emitted from the hall, and Hermione opened the door.

"Hi guys!" she said, looking at everyone. Her smile turned into a frown at the their insolent looks.

"I have to sit down," Ron said, and Ginny helped him walk over to the couch. Harry glanced at the clueless Hermione. Harry took her hand and pulled her out of the flat and into the hall.

"Um, should I stay?" asked Haley.

"Yes, you should, dinner should be ready in about an hour…" Ginny said. Haley nodded.

Hermione and Harry came back in; Hermione looked dazed and Harry looked serious.

"Hold it…the wedding!" Halia exclaimed, a stroke of brialliance washing over her. "Luna said she wanted to coordinate…which really meant she wanted Hermione to be a maid of honor somewhere…and only she only wanted Hermione and Harry there, because…because her and Ron eloped!"

Hermione gaped at her sister; Harry stared at her, and Ron spoke.

"Halia, you can give Hermione a run for her money," Ron said, and turned to her.

"Ronald, you're MARRIED?" Ginny shrieked.

"Um, well, if you look at it that way, I look it as a drunken night with Luna... I mean, I had the ring!"

"And that's it!" Haley shouted, pointing at Ron. "That test! It's Luna's, which means…" Haley's eyes grew wide. "Ron is going to be…a father."


	5. A Genuis in a Ketchup Bottle

Disclaimer: If you didn't realize it yet, I DON'T OWN HARRY POTTER. Friggin idiots! (He he. I don't own Napoleon Dynamite either.)

Warning: A little OOC-ness! (Haley and Alex)

A/N: This was going to be two chapters. But it's not. So wa. Enjoy…

Chapter Five

Halia went back to school feeling odd, and she didn't know why. Maybe it was the fact that Luna was pregnant; maybe it was because she was one of the first ones to know; maybe it was because she just felt odd in an undetectable way.

She waved to Sherry as she entered the portrait hole with her luggage on Tuesday morning, the morning they got back. The common room was almost empty, except for a first year sitting in the very corner. Everyone must have been still sleeping. She trudged up the stairs to the dorm, opened the door, and placed the suitcase and backpack at the end of her four-poster as quiet as she could. Seeing as class didn't start for an hour, Haley put her books in her messenger bag and went back down to the common room.

She was about to push open the door when the redhead she had seen with Alex earlier came out of the 2nd year dorm, fully dressed but without a backpack. She walked the length of the balcony with ease, and made her way down the steps. Faintly Haley heard the boy's 3rd year dorm door open; she jerked her head over there and saw with a pain in her side that it was Alex, walking downstairs toward the redhead. Next thing she knew, they were three inches to the left of her, giggling and whispering as if she wasn't there.

"Ahem," she said loudly. Alex looked up.

"Oh, Haley! Hi! You're back from the break!" he said, frowning a bit. Halia grinned falsely. "Oh. This is…err…Erica. My-my girlfriend. Erica, this is Haley, one of my really close friends." He said 'really close friend' in a hurried tone.

"Hi Erica. How terr- I mean what a pleasure it is to meet you," Haley forced herself to say as Erica stretched out her hand.

"It's nice to meet you too. Well, we'd better go. We were planning an early breakfast," Haley winced as Erica dug her nails into the skin on her hand, and then dropped it. Alex looked Haley in the eyes.

"You can come with us if you want to," he said. Halia thought it over. If she got a chance to ruin the couple's relationship, this was it.

"Okay, sure," she replied. Alex grinned and went out the portrait hole. Erica looked at Haley with narrowed eyes, and followed Alex out. Haley went last, behind her. This was going to be a good breakfast.

They got to the Ravenclaw table. There were a few people already at the there. Immediately Haley sat next to Alex before Erica could say "Haley, you suck at Quidditch." Okay, she didn't _really_ say that. She looked at her, and back at Alex.

"Um…Erica, you can sit across from me if you'd like…" he sounded amused. Erica frowned. She crossed her arms and walked all the way to the front of the table and back, then sat down across from him. Halia grinned a full of herself smile.

She grabbed a pan of hash browns and put some on her plate.

"So, Alex, how was your break?" Haley asked him as if Erica wasn't there.

"Oh, it was fine. They allowed us to go to Hogsmeude, and I got a bunch of candy…Erica just got back from her brother's house last night." He glanced at her and took some eggs. "How was yours?"

"Very excitable. I went to my sister's flat in London and we found out that one of her friends is going to have a baby," she said. Alex nodded. Haley heard a slam come from across the table.

"Hello. I'm still here," it was Erica. Haley looked at her.

"Oh, yes. You are." Haley turned back to her food, picked up her fork, and dipped a piece of an egg in ketchup. Looking up, she stuck the fork in her mouth and glanced at Erica then Alex. After she finished chewing through the silence, someone yelled Haley's name. She looked over at the doors to the hall and saw Sherry walking towards her.

"Oh, well, I'd better go. Oh, and Erica, you have something down your front," she said as she grabbed her backpack and got up. "Good luck getting it off." Erica looked down.

"I don't have anything down my front!"

Haley was prepared for this. She drew out her wand, with her left hand opened the bottle of ketchup, said "Windgardeuim Leviosa" and next thing she knew, the ketchup had spilled down the front of Erica.

"Now you do!" And as she walked away, happy with herself, she heard Alex go into a laughing fit.

"Oh my God, you did what?" was Marina's expression when Haley told her what had happened.

"Mars, your Leavless Tree is walking away," Haley replied to her, and pointed at the leaf-less plant with legs that was inching away from the table they were sitting at. It was first hour, and they were in Herbology.

Marina got up to get the plant that was all the way down by a different table. Haley looked down the row of students and saw Mathoy and his girlfriend playing with their Leavless Trees; just across from them was Elizabeth Mathoy, and in her oh-so-blondeness she was looking at the hands of her Leavless Tree and looked confused as to why it wasn't walking. Marina came and sat next to her again.

The bell rang, and Haley was out of there like a Firebolt during the World Cup. Marina was lagging behind.

"Hal, you go ahead! Save me a spot in DADA!" she shouted. Haley turned around and waved an okay. She turned around again, and to her surprise she found Alex standing there.

"Alex, you scared me!" she exclaimed. He smiled and they started walking up to the castle.

"I'm single again…" he said.

"You broke off with her?" Haley tried to hide the joyfulness in her voice.

"Nope, she broke off with me."

"Mmm. Mind if I ask why?"

"Because I laughed at her after the ketchup incident…to tell you the truth, I never really liked her. I just…" he paused for a second and opened the entrance hall doors for her. "Don't even know why I said yes to her in the first place."

Haley nodded as the two of them made there way through a group of 6th years going up the stairs. Alex was on the rebound. Should she ask him yet? No, because you need at least a week before he got of the rebound.

"And I was wondering…there's um…a Hogsmeude visit on Halloween in a couple weeks…do you want to come with me?" This was Alex speaking, not Haley. She immediately felt her cheeks turn red, and she had no clue why. She stopped, dead on the staircase. Both because she was shocked he asked her out, and because she was on one of the trick steps and couldn't move. Alex grabbed her elbow and pulled her out so she was standing on a good step. They started walking again.

"So…will you?" Alex said.

"Yes."


	6. The Snog Shack

Haley was a bit skeptical at going out with Alex; what if he was just desperate for a girlfriend again? She suddenly felt sorry for Erica…then again, Erica was the one that dumped Alex.

She gazed into the fire on Friday night, the night before her first date with Alex. She was alone; Marina, tired from the whole day, had gone to bed, and Sherry she hadn't managed to sneak into the Gryffindor tower. The flames flickered left to right. Halia's mind was completely blank. It was like she had been put under a spell. She really should go to bed, yet she couldn't bring herself to it.

After a few moments of staring into the fire, she looked at her watch. It was already 11:30…sighing, she slowly got up from her chair and dragged her feet upstairs.

The next morning, Haley woke up at 8:30 with a pillow being thrown at her face.

"Hail! HAIL! You have to meet Alex at 9!" it was Marina, who was up and fully dressed.

"Oh my God! Why didn't you wake me up earlier?" she exclaimed, immediately jumping out of bed and turning to her drawer. Marina shrugged.

"Here," she said, throwing an off-white camisole at her friend. "Wear this."

"Oh, come on, Mars. A camisole doesn't look good without anything," she laughed as she caught it.

"Um…don't you have that brown jacket that you love?" Marina asked.

"Yeah…"

"Wear that with it and a pair of jeans!" she exclaimed excitedly.

"Ok. But I need to get changed quickly."

Marina grinned and went out the dorm. Haley got out of her pajamas and put on day clothes; quickly she ran a brush through her hair and put it up in a tight ponytail; applied a bit of eye shadow; slid on a pair of black boots and was on her way.

"Hi Haley," Alex greeted her as she walked up to him in the entrance hall, where all the third years and over were waiting to go into the village.

"Hey" she replied shyly. He grinned, and together they started to head out of the castle.

When they passed the gates into Hogsmueade, Haley spotted Elizabeth Mathoy not to far from them, eyeing Alex with apprehension.

"So, where do you want to go first?" Alex asked. Haley shrugged.

"Um…there's Madam Puddifoots," she said. For a moment they stood in silence, and Haley remembered a overhearing a 6th year last week calling the place 'the snog shack'.

"Wait, wait, no. We could just…go into the Three Broomsticks," she quickly said. Alex nodded, rather too eagerly, if she said so herself.

"Yeah, I think that's better," Alex replied. Haley smiled. They started walking. Haley was all too nervous. Her head was running with things it shouldn't be; as a nervous habit, she was clicking her bubble gum and tossing her hair every which way as they walked. Finally, after what seemed hours of awkward quietness, they arrived at the door to the pub, and Alex held it open for her. She grinned at him and proceeded forward.

He led the way to an empty table, one close to a bunch of popular 4th years chugging down firewhisky.

"What can I get for you kids today?" Madam Rosemerta, the bartender, asked as she approached the table.

"Two mulled meads. Is that alright, Hail…I mean Haley?" he asked. She nodded. The bartender left, and Haley spoke.

"You can call me Hail, if you'd like," she said, noticing his embarrassment at calling Haley her nickname from friends and family.

"Really? Um…thanks." Haley couldn't help but smile once more. "So…what's your favorite Quiddich team?"

"Timberton Twisters" she replied conversationally.

"Me too!"

Their drinks arrived, and soon the conversation flowed very easily. After a half hour, and realizing that they had lots in common, and lots not in common, including a shared fascination of Graphorns, Alex got up.

"Well, we'd better head down to another place," he told Haley. His hand was hovering inches from her. Haley's instincts told her to take it, so she did, and he pulled her up. As the door swung open, and Alex and Haley were still holding hands, she heard a popular guy at one table whistle, and a 'holy crap' coming from one of the girls at a different table. Haley ignored the comments; she was glad that their hands were still clamped tightly together.

"Let's go to Honeydukes," Haley said. She adored that place.

"Okay," he agreed. And there hands were still together as they made their way through the many Hogwarts students crowding the town.

As soon as they got into the store, Haley spotted Sherry standing with Marina over by a case of Chewy Newts. Sherry caught her eye, winked, and nudged her head over towards the girl's levity.

"Um, Alex, I have to go the bathroom. I'll be back in a couple minutes." She said, and as painful as it was for her to do this, she dropped his hand. He nodded, so she pushed a couple people out of her way to get to it. Sherry was there, waiting with Marina at the door.

"Hi!" she squealed.

"So, how's it going?" Sherry asked, her hands on Haley's elbows.

"GREAT! We've been holding hands since we got out of The Three Broomsticks!" she exclaimed. For a few seconds, Marina, Haley, and Sherry were jumping up and down, squealing joyfully like three teenage girls should do.

"Okay. I'd better go. He's waiting!" She smiled and waved at her two best friends and went back toward Alex. When she got back, he had a bundle of candy already in his arms.

"Err…It's one of my friends birthdays tomorrow. And you know, he loves candy!" He said, and smiled innocently at her. Haley started laughing. She picked up a couple boxes of chocolate from a different shelf, flashed Alex another grin, and went with him up to the counter. She withdrew a couple galaons and placed them in front of the cashier. He took the money, and Halia waited for Alex as he asked for a bag for all the candy. The cashier grumpily bent down behind the counter and jammed a plastic bag with the writing 'Honeydukes Sweet Shoppe' written on it into his hand. Alex pushed all the candy into the bag, and went out with Haley.

"That dude looked like he wanted to kill me when I asked him for a bag!" Alex exclaimed. Haley looked at her watch; there was only about an hour left until lunch, and she had skipped breakfast. Her stomach was rumbling already.

About 45 minutes later, after the almost-couple had visited the pet store and Zonko's joke shop, the dreaded moment came: lunch at Madam Puddifoots.

She really didn't want to go. If a different café wasn't packed, they would have gone there, but, due to Karma hating Haley, the places had no tables left open. And if Hogwarts served lunch for third years on Hogsmeude Saturdays, which they didn't, they would've headed back towards the castle. But, no, they had to go to the horrid Snog Shack.

Nervously, Haley opened the door, which was splattered in pink paint so you couldn't see inside. Not a good sign. She ushered herself in, Alex cautiously following behind her. She looked around. It was a cramped little place. All around were tables for two. Haley found herself standing in front of a restaurant-style podium thing with a sign that said 'wait to be seated.' That, obviously, wasn't there before, because you could smell the new smell of wood, marker, and paint.

A stoat lady dressed in pink silk robes came bustling towards them. She had much too much pale pink eye shadow on, and the red lipstick didn't add much to the rosy cheeks.

"Ah, yes, another young couple. Come this way, my dears," she said, making a hand motion towards one of the tables nearest the white-curtained windows. She waited for a few seconds, with both of the teenagers standing looked oddly at her, when she clucked her tongue. Alex finally made a nod of understanding. He pulled a chair out for Haley, who by now was very red in the face so she could've matched the red velvet tablecloth. Alex sat down across from her, his blue-beyond-blue eyes softening in the glow of the floated candle between them.

"Menus, menus!" she said, as she just heard the tinkle of the bell above the doors. She threw them onto the table and rushed over.

"Awkward place, is it not?" Haley asked. Alex didn't reply at first; he was staring with his mouth lolling open at a couple not to far from where they were sitting. The couple was so immersed in kissing that Haley thought if they would suffocate.

"What? Oh, um yeah. Really odd. Really, really, really, odd," he added. Halia felt the urge to laugh, but bit her lip and looked down at the menu instead. The waitress came by again, asking for their order.

"I'm just going to have the French Onion soup and a biscuit…and just water to drink. What about you, Alex?"

"Same…" he said, handing the waitress the menu back. Haley did the same, and literally two minutes later, she came bustling around again, holding two soups, two waters, and two biscuits. Haley quickly ate her food up; she wanted to get out of here, and fast. Alex did the same, put five galoans on the table, took Haley's hand, and was out of there like a bee. He told her he was going to meet up with his friends, so she waved goodbye, and he darted off towards the Quidditch store. She sighed happily and went off to find her own friends.

After dinner, in which Haley had sat with Sherry, Marina, and another Ravenclaw girl about the juicy details of her day with Alex, she was to meet Alex at the entrance hall. Quickly, she threw on her jacket, made sure by Sherry that her hair and makeup were still good, and pushed through yet another crowd, and found the doors. There he was, perfect as he had been today, crossing his arms at Gina and her friends. Haley looked by them. Elizabeth Mathoy was flipping her hair along with them at Alex. Right then, Haley wished that she could just kiss Alex in front of Elizabeth; that would sure make her day brighter.

"Hey Alex" she said. He turned towards her and smiled.

"Hi. Come on," he said. Haley glared at Elizabeth as Alex took her hand. He dragged her out to the cool grounds, where the sun was almost setting above the lake. They walked for a while in silence, around the outer edge of the small lake, until finally Alex spoke.

"Would you consider us…_going out_?" Alex asked shyly as he tightened his grip on Haley's hand.

"Well, sort of. I don't know. Only if you do," she said hurriedly.

"Um, yeah, I told all my friends you and I were," he said even faster.

"Then I guess we are," Haley replied, and her stomach left. Could God really love her this much, to give her Alex as a boyfriend? Alex smiled as big as he ever did, and, yes, of course he had to do this:

He turned around and locked his lips with Halia's.


	7. Mayhem at the Qiudditch Game

Chapter Seven: Mayhem at the Quidditch Game

The second Quidditch game was to be held on this coming Saturday, and Haley hardly had any time for Alex, Sherry, and Marina, due to homework and practice.

"Now, Haley, remember that the Mathoy twins are on a restraint, they cant harm you in any way possible," the Captain of the Ravenclaw team, 6th year Andy Bitters was explaining to her at the Teusday night practice.

"I get it, Andy. Besides, I'll be fine. As long as I can knock Daniel Mathoy off of his broom," she said, but, seeing Andy's look, added a bit to it. "Not that I can, because I'll be too busy looking for the snitch to notice a little prat like him."

"Good. Now let's get started before Haley makes any more threats!" he shouted to the rest of the team, who was already out of the Locker Room and on the field.

After practice, Halia trudged back up into the Ravenclaw common room, where Alex was waiting for her at the fire.

"You alright, Hal?" he asked. She just plopped down next to him on the same chair and rested her head on his shoulder. Closing her eyes, she shook her head.

"Andy made us do fifteen laps around the field." She sighed.

"That's not too bad!" he exclaimed. She opened her eyes and looked up at him.

"Without brooms," she said shortly. He frowned.

"Maybe I should go beat him up! Fifteen laps, that's nuts!"

"You'd think…but he just kept making us run. But I don't want you beating him up, Alex, I want to stay on the team."

The next day, Haley was sitting with Sherry and Marina at break in the Courtyard, finishing her Potions homework.

"I feel bad for you, Hail. You have to finish your homework earlier than we do," Marina commented.

"Thanks, Mars that makes me feel so much better."

"It should" she smart-mouthed back. Haley stared at her.

At dinner, Halia had to eat quickly, because practice was scheduled for right afterwards. She could already see Arena Harris, one of the chasers, getting up to go. She gulped down the rest of her juice, kissed Alex goodbye and waved at the other two, and caught up with Arena to leave.

After having a tight schedule all week, Haley was glad for Saturday's match. She woke up to the sun at eight in the morning, put her robes in her backpack, and walked down to breakfast, letting Marina sleep, since the match didn't start until later that morning.

When she got down there, there was only some of the Ravenclaw team on the Ravenclaw table, and mostly all of the Slytherin team, including Mathoy, at the Slytherin table. Daniel sneered loathingly at Haley as she took a seat next to Arena. She happily sneered back.

"Ready to lose, Granger?" he shouted at her from the other side of the Great Hall.

"No, actually, I'm ready for you to lose, not me," she yelled back.

"Too bad Elizabeth stepped on your arm last year, I'm sure she'd be glad to step on your face this time instead…" He yelled, standing up.

"DANIEL MATHOY," came the voice of Professor McGonagall, who had entered the Hall at the time Mathoy had said 'glad to step on your face this time instead'. "If I hear Muggle threats once more from your mouth, its detention for both you and your sister. Ten points from Slytherin!" she exclaimed. Haley grinned to herself as Mathoy sat back down, his face fallen.

"Mount your brooms!" Madam Hooch shouted. Haley, who was standing across from Daniel Mathoy, swung her leg over her Firebolt. Madam Hooch blew her whistle, and the two teams were off. Haley started looking for any flash of gold. She saw a little of it hovering over Alyssa Hiker, one of the beater's, head. She immediately swerved a bludger and put full speed towards Alyssa. Mathoy, though thick headed and blonde as he was, followed her. Haley's eyes were still on the Snitch, which was going super fast towards the stands.

She was inches from it when she heard a crash from behind her; she quickly turned to see what it was. But a second wait told her that it was just Mathoy trying to divert her attention, for he was speeding past her, wand raised, smirking.

"You little son of a-" she stopped herself and went forward under the stands. He went out, and Haley took the chance to get ahead of him. She started going back and forth, up and down. She turned to him, and he was looking at her like she was nuts. She grinned and stopped suddenly. Just as she thought he would, Mathoy was lurched off of his broom and was now hanging off of it by two hands. She went forward, spotted the snitch, and zoomed toward it.

"Oh, nice knock off from Granger, that's Halia Granger as the seeker, third year, rather hot girl, might I mention-"

"EDGECOMBE!" McGonagall scolded Alex, who was commentating.

"Sorry M'amm. Anyway, Mathoy is trying to get back on his broom, that'd be Daniel Mathoy of Slytherin, third year seeker, a freak blonde son of a bitch, as my wonderful girlfriend Haley describes him as…"

"ALEXANDER EDGECOMBE, GIVE ME THAT MICROPHONE!"

Haley quit her search for the snitch and looked over at the Commentating stand. Professor McGonagall was fighting Alex for the Megaphone. Alex was still holding it. He was looking at Haley and grinning. Haley smiled at him and resumed her searching. She could hear Alex still trying to commentate even though the old teacher was almost attacking him.

"And-Alyssa, that's Alyssa of Ravenclaw-has-accidentally-hit the Quaffle-Professor McGonagall, I said I'm sorry-ouch, that's my foot!-into the Slytherin goal posts,-that's an extra point for Slytherin-I swear that's wrong-aw, crap, I think I broke a rib…"

Haley was inches away from the snitch now; if she reached a bit further, Ravenclaw would win. Her fingers closed over the cold gold of the snitch. She brought it into the air, where she was greeted by the screams from Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, and Hufflepuff, and the mixed boo's and cusses from Slytherin.

Mathoy came flying by her, and next thing she knew he had kicked the end of her broomstick, and she was the one hanging from it by one hand, because she had the snitch in the other. She glared at him. There was no way to get down, and he realized this, for he sped off towards where his sister and girlfriend were standing, waiting for him.

"Hey, Hail, get down!" Sherry was shouting from below her. She looked down at her; she was about fifteen feet away from her.

"Um, Sher, I can't get down without letting the snitch get away." She heard a scream; she looked towards where it sounded from, and was surprised to see Alex and Daniel Mathoy in a bare-handed Muggle fight. She took the chance to jump down from her broom, and landed hard on her ankle, but ignored the pain and ran towards her boyfriend and rival. She saw her broom falling down towards the ground and Marina running towards it, but she could see no more as Elizabeth Mathoy had jumped on her and was pinning her to the ground.

More screams erupted as Haley threw Elizabeth off of her, so she was on the ground instead. Someone from the crowd around them was whistling while another one shouted "Cat fight!" Elizabeth jumped on Haley again, but she pushed her back and scratched Elizabeth's cheek. Now there were two pairs fighting, Alex and Daniel on one side and Elizabeth and Haley next to them. Haley felt a crack on her ankle; Elizabeth was kicking it, hard, as Haley had her pinned to the ground.

"You broke my ankle!" screamed Haley as she let go of Elizabeth's shoulders. Alex threw a last punch at Daniel and ran to Haley's aide. McGonagall was rushing towards them, looking furious.

"A disgrace! Muggle fighting! Haven't seen that since Potter and Malfoy got in that fight five years ago!" But Haley hadn't heard any of the rest of this, for there was a sharp pain on her head, and she conked out.

"Miss Granger, how did your ankle break?" Madam Pomfrey was saying ten minutes later, as she opened her eyes.

"Well, I feel from my broom after the game, and twisted it, and, m'amm, when I was in that fight with Elizabeth, she kicked it."

"She broke your ankle? If I recall, Miss Granger, she broke your arm last year?"

"Yes, m'amm."

"What is wrong with these students? Nuts, nuts…" the nurse muttered, and walked away. Haley had time to look up and see everyone around her.

Elizabeth was sitting on a bed next to her, looking over her brother; Alex was laying in the bed next to her, clearly knocked out. It was only when someone sat at the end of her bed did she realize the throbbing pain in her ankle. She turned to see who it was. It was only Sherry.

"Hi," she said gloomily.

"Hey…" Sherry said. "Good fight you put up over there, Hal."

"Thanks. What happened to Alex?"

"He was…hit with a spell of some kind. Madam Pomfrey says it was a bad one." She explained, hanging her head. Haley's filled with tears and she put her head down on her bed's pillow.

"She…said that he'll be out for a few weeks. Until Christmas, at least." Sherry said. "I'm…so sorry."

"That's okay, as long as he's not" Haley sniffed "dead."

"I'll go write Harry and Hermione about this...bye Hail," Sherry whispered, and walked away. Haley wiped the tears from her eyes as Madam Pomfrey came bustling over, holding a goblet of some steaming potion.

"Take this. It'll fix that bone up by tomorrow afternoon," she said. Haley took the goblet, sat up, and sipped the potion little by little. It tasted like moldy cheese, but she sipped it anyway. Haley handed it back with a sour face. Madam Pomfrey shook her head and bustled over to Alex, who was stirring in his sleep.

The next morning, Haley was allowed to go to breakfast in the great hall, but she had crutches with her. She sat by Marina, who had a rather bitter look on her face.

"Hey, Haley, nice fight!" Jason Barnes, a 5th year Gryffindor, told her as he passed to get to his table.

"Thanks."

"Hey, Halia, good job!" Jaycee Pearson, who was in her dorm, said to her as she sat down across.

"Thank you," was Haley's reply. The owl post came flying in, and Haley watched as a white snowy owl with a red envelope in her beck land on the Corn Flakes. Haley reconginized the owl as Harry's. She dropped the envelope and flew off. Haley gaped as the envelope opened to form a type of mouth.

"HALIA ISABELLA GRANGER!" it was Hermione's voice. Marina's eyes grew wide.

"My God, Haley, that's a howler!"

"YOU SET A DISGRACE UPON THAT SCHOOL! YOU DARED TO FIGHT SOMEONE, WITHOUT WANDS? EVEN SO, A FIGHT AT THAT? MUM AND DAD WILL HEAR ABOUT THIS, YES THEY WILL!" with that, the envelope ate it self up and burst into flames.

Marina let the fire out with the tip of her wand. The three girls, Jaycee, Haley, and Marina sat there, staring at it.

"Well. That was different. I've got to meet someone, talk to you guys later…" Jaycee said, got up, and walked out.

Professor McGonagall came into the hall, spotted Haley, and walked over.

"Miss Granger, you, Miss Mathoy and Mr. Mathoy all have detention for the next two months every night. Your first one is tonight, be there at my office at six with your wand," without waiting for a reply, she went over to the Slytherin table.

Haley sighed. "Oh, great. My life keeps getting better and better…"


	8. Mysteries for Third Years

_A/N: A bit OOC on Haley's part. Just a fair warning. Enjoy! _

_Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. Isn't that a rip off? Just kidding. _

December came around the corner quickly; Halia had spent everyday of the last two weeks sitting at Alex's bedside, waiting for him to rouse.

"Miss Granger, it's already eight thirty! You'll get detention if you're out this late!" Madam Pomfrey was scolding Haley on December first, as she was sitting on her boyfriend's bed, just staring into his tired face. But then he made a noise, and for the first time since November 20, opened his eyes. Haley shrieked.

"Madam Pomfrey! HE'S AWAKE!" she hugged him and he hugged her back as Madam Pomfrey came bustling over to see for herself.

"We've been waiting, Mr. Edgecombe," she mumbled. "Now, please, Miss Granger, could you leave him be? I can see he needs rest still."

Halia smiled and kissed Alex before she left. His lips were dry. She took out a lip balm and gave it to him.

"You need it," she whispered, and winked at him. He winked back and she went out of the infirmary, bursting to the brim to tell the rest of the Ravenclaws about his recovery. First, because she was so happy, she went to Gina, who was sitting, looking gloomy, by the fire.

"Gina?" Haley acknowledged, tapping her shoulder. Gina turned back to look at who was asking her name.

"Oh. You," she said shortly.

"I just wanted to tell you that Alex is awake..." Haley muttered. Gina screamed 'YES!' and started running around the common room. Haley shook her head and went to tell Marina and a few other Ravenclaws were sitting, talking, including Page Quarter, Alex's best friend.

"You guys, Alex is awake!" Haley said. The only good reaction she got was from Page, who grinned.

"He is?" he asked. Haley nodded. "That's cool." The others, however, just nodded. Even Aaron Modulo, who was a close friend of Alex, just nodded.

"Um...Mars? Shouldn't you be happy about it?" she asked. Marina just snickered. Haley looked taken aback. Layla Ord came over at this precise moment, her long dirty-blonde hair trailing behind her.

"I couldn't help overhear. I can be happy about it. See?" she smiled big. Haley inched away from her.

"Page, come with me. We're going to...use something to go see Alex." Page got up and followed her out of the portrait hole. The lady in the picture, who was the Fat Lady's cousin, yelled after them "You're going to get a detention!" but Haley ignored her. Full speed ahead, she ran to down the corridor a ways until she found the picture of the Fat Lady. Gasping for breath with Page behind her, she said the password that Sherry had given her, and trampled in with curses from the portrait.

Halia spotted Sherry sitting, reading a book, by the fire.

"Stay here for a second," Haley told Page.

"Wait, Haley, I don't mean to be rude, but what the hell are you doing?" he asked. Haley put her finger up as a motion of a minute, and hurried over to her best friend.

"Sherry! Alex is awake. And I'm taking Page to see him. I need your cloak!" she said hurriedly.

"I'm not sure I have it!" she said. Haley sighed.

"Would it be in your trunk?" Haley asked her.

"Let me go find it. I'll be back in five seconds, I swear," Sherry whizzed up the stairs, and ten seconds later, she came to where Halia was standing with Page. She was holding the silvery translucent cloth in her hands.

"Thank you. I owe you," she said. Sherry nodded.

"Yeah. You do. Give it back to me tomorrow morning. And make sure no one sees it. Lock it in your trunk in your dorm," Sherry told Haley. Haley nodded, threw the cloak over a very dazed-looking Page, then herself. She climbed out of the hole with him following, having trouble because he was taller then Haley. She walked down staircase after staircase until, finally, she got to the Hospital Wing doors. Luckily, they weren't locked, so she tip-toed in, shushed Page, and found the bed that Alex had been lying in, which had the curtains drawn.

Making sure no one else was around, especially the nurse, Haley whispered "Alex! Are you in there?" She heard a rustle, and Alex had opened the curtains and was looking around. She took the cloak of, and he let her in, startled.

"Halia, what are you doing?" he whispered hoarsely. She jerked her head towards Page.

"Him," she muttered. Alex smiled. Haley allowed them to do the 'man-shake' and catch up on a bit for ten minutes, until she heard a shuffling of slippers.

"Mr. Edgecombe, who are you talking to?" it was Madam Pomfrey. Haley bit her lip, grabbed the invisibility cloak, and threw it over herself and Page.

"Shut up!" she hissed at him. She watched as Alex jumped into bed as Madam Pomfrey open the curtains. Alex started snoring.

"Hmm. That's odd. I thought I heard...never mind," she shook her head and shuffled back out of the curtained room.

"Hail, you can come out now!" Haley heard Alex whisper from the covers.

"I think we should go, though," Haley hissed back.

"Yeah...if she hears more voices, you'll get in trouble," he said. Haley took the cloak off for a second to hug Alex, then it was back on, and her and her boyfriend's best friend were out of the infirmary, and towards Gryffindor Tower to drop of the cloak.

The next morning, Halia woke up to bright sunshine; too bright. She heard the distant sound of a bell and she sat bolt up straight. Immediately she got out of bed, threw on her uniform, brushed her teeth for two seconds, grabbed her bag, and was out of there in three minutes.

She arrived in Professor Slughorn's Potions dungeon ten minutes after first bell had rung.

"So...so sorry, Professor, I slept in a bit too long," she said.

"Oh, that's all right, Miss Granger...we all do that one time or another," he smiled at her and motioned her to sit down. She looked around; Marina was sitting by Mary Gindstone, a Hufflepuff (they were having a split class) and, reluctantly, sat down at the only empty seat, by Layla Ord.

"Hello, Halia," she said in an airy voice. Haley smiled weakly at her.

After second period came round, (and Halia had been talked into insanity about Nargles from Layla), and that meant out to the greenhouses with the Slytherin third years, something that she was sorely mad about.

"Hello, class! Sit down, sit down... Today we are learning about Nargles!" Professor Sprout exclaimed. Haley hit her head, hard, on the table.

That day, somehow, was one of the worst ever. For one, because Marina was being mean; for two, she was late to Potions and Defense Against the Dark Arts; and lastly, Elisabeth kept trying to curse her in the hallways.

It was after dinner (in which Haley had sat with Sherry), and instead of going her usual route to Ravenclaw tower to finish her homework, she went to the infirmary.

"I'll be in the Gryffindor tower in a few minutes," Halia said to Sherry.

"Okay, see you then," Sherry said, waving at her as they went there separate ways.

The moment Haley opened the doors she was met with a wet kiss; someone held her at arms length, and she grinned as she saw it was Alex.

"Alex! You're out of bed!" she exclaimed as she whipped her lips.

"Yep. Madam Pomfrey said I was free," he said. She kissed him and they walked into the corridor together, hand in hand.

"So, what happened today? Any homework I miss?" he asked. Haley looked at him.

"Alexander, you've been out cold for two weeks. Do you think you missed any homework?" she quizzed.

"Damn. And I thought that I had just slept through every class!" he joked. Haley laughed.

"Oh, yeah, before I forget, we have a detention with the Mathoy twins tonight...McGonagall said as soon as you were awake, you'd be joining us. Usually she just makes us clean out broom closets...last time, though, she gave us extra-credit for every class we had. Torture, I tell you," she explained.

"Are we going to Ravenclaw, or Gryffindor?" Alex asked her as they reached the topmost floor of the castle.

"Gryffindor, if you don't mind...Marina was being mean to me all day, and Sherry is letting me into their tower."

"No, that's fine...I haven't thought bad of Marina, what happened to her?"

"I don't know, she just started being mean after I got in the fight last match." She told him. He stopped in front of the portrait of the Fat Lady, which they had arrived at. She stopped with him.

"Hmm...that sucks," he said. She nodded in agreement.

"Well, are you coming in or not?" the Fat Lady spoke. Haley jumped.

"Oh...yeah. Centaur," Haley said, and it swung open. Alex went in ahead of her, and his hand helped her in.

"Alex!" Sherry exclaimed.

"Hey," he replied.

"You haven't seen Mathoy lately, have you?" she questioned.

"Nope. Why?"

"Oh, whoops. Didn't tell you yet," Haley cut in as the three of them took empty seats (rather, Haley and Alex took one seat, while Sherry took another). "Well, you hit him up so bad that he was in the hospital wing for three days with a minor version of the spell that hit you."

"You mean...he didn't knock me out with a spell?" Alex asked. Sherry shook her head. "But, I thought you had gotten hit with that spell, also, Hail. I didn't really see much before I got knocked out... What happened to you?"

"Try Mathoy's broomstick to the back of the head, compliments of his sister," she said matter-of-factly. "I was only in the hospital for about three hours."

"Lucky you," he muttered.

"Look, you guys, I don't know about you, but I think someone is out to get us...all of us," Sherry said, pointing around at everyone.

"I'm not sure...why would they let Mathoy be hit with that spell too?" Alex said.

"Because someone wanted to make sure that it didn't look too aimed towards the muggle-borns. You know, to cover something up. And he did get hit with a minor version of the spell. Sherry, you told me that the light came from the end of the pitch. But no one was able to be seen..." she trailed off.

"You know what?" Sherry said. "I think it's time to talk to the trio."

"You don't think-" Haley started to say, but was cut off by Sherry.

"Yeah. That's what we need to do," she said, and Haley knew there was no arguing with her.

_A/N again: HA! Cliffie there! It's crappy, but oh well! Next chapter should be the Detention...and more mysteries shall be solved. _


	9. Into the Forest

A/N: Ok, just so you know, this takes place a minute after the ending of chapter 8. So you don't get confused.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything. I don't own Luna or the Trio. Or Professor McGonagall and Filch. Got it? Get it? Good.

"Sherry, you don't think they're too busy for us? With Luna being pregnant and such?" Haley asked.

"Nope," Sherry replied as she reached into her backpack and withdrew a bag of green powder. "They always have time for us."

"Um...girls? I have no clue what you're talking about," Alex said.

"Oh, Sherry wants to talk to the masters of breaking rules. The Trio. They're like...practically famous around here, you know? Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger, and Harry Potter..." Halia trailed off.

"Harry Potter and Ron Weasley? I saw there names on a trophy in the trophy room! They closed the chamber of secrets a few years ago, didn't they?" Alex said. Haley stared at him.

"Of course. And Harry is Sherry's brother. And Hermione is my sister..." Haley glanced at her watch. It was already five past 7. "Oh my God! We're late for detention! Come on!" Haley grabbed her boyfriend's hand and they ran out of the portrait hole together.

They almost ran into the Headmistress's office door when they arrived; panting, Haley said the password, but it didn't matter, since the door already opened.

"Miss Granger, Mr. Edgecombe, you are late! We've been waiting long enough!" Professor McGonagall scolded them. Behind her, the Mathoy twins were standing, smirking cruelly. The professor walked out of the doorway and into the hall, right in front of Haley and Alex.

"Tonight you will be going into the forest- Mr. Filch will be talking you down there," McGonagall told the three third-years. Elizabeth gaped at her like she was mental.

"Professor, that place is...well, dangerous!" she whined. Haley shook her head.

"Not that dangerous, actually," Haley braved. Elizabeth shot a look at her. "My sister has been in there before. The only bad things are the centaurs. Unless you annoy them, then they ignore you."

"Shut the hell up, Granger," Elizabeth mouthed to Halia behind the headmistress' back. Haley sneered at her. The Professor turned around just one second after Elizabeth had made a rude hand gesture to Haley.

"I will leave you now. Mr. Filch should bring you into the forest, where he then will tell you what you will have to do. Have a nice night," McGonagall said with a wave, and strode off away up the main staircase. Haley, squeezing her boyfriend's hand, opened the doors and led the group down the castle steps and onto the cold, black snow-covered grounds.

Elizabeth was the first one who spotted Filch. He was standing next to Hagrid's old hut. Elizabeth pointed him out by screaming "OH MY GOD! MCGONAGALL TRICKED US! SHE WANTS US TO FEED THAT ZOMBIE!" loudly, and grabbing Alex's arm.

"That's not a zombie, you idiot!" Haley exclaimed, aggravated. She went on the other side of Alex and took the other hand so Elizabeth's hand was forced off his arm.

"There you are! I have been waiting here for over twenty minutes in this cold, just for some menacing teenagers! You know how much of my life is being wasted?" Filch snapped at the four 3rd years as they approached the old man.

"I think his life was wasted way before we came along," Alex whispered in Haley's ear. She nodded her agreement, and, turning around, saw Elizabeth looking furious.

"You will be going into the forest to hunt for bowtruckles!" the old caretaker wheezed.

"Um...why?" asked the male Mathoy twin, looking slightly scared.

"To feed them to the Fire Crabs, of course," Filch continued. "Go on in there" he pointed his cane at the woods behind him.

"W-we certainly can't go in there by ourselves?" Haley heard Elizabeth squeak as her and Alex, hand in hand, braved into the forest.

"Hey! Wait for us!" bellowed Daniel, running towards the couple as fast as his legs could carry him.

"Daniel! Don't leave me here!" exclaimed his sister, who was lagging behind. When she caught up with Daniel, Alex, and Haley, she was breathless, her blonde bangs plastered onto her forehead with sweat. "Thanks a lot!" she whined. Haley sighed and wrapped her cloak tighter around herself.

"How exactly are we supposed to get bowtruckles?" asked Alex into the night air.

"Tap on trees of course..." Haley replied, her grip tightening.

"Don't you think someone's up to something?" Alex said out of the corner of his mouth to make sure the Slytherin twins lagging behind didn't hear him. Haley glanced at him and nodded her head the slightest bit.

"I don't think someone would send us into the forest, with no adult, just to get Bowtruckles," Haley whispered, her pace quickening. "At that, during the nighttime. If they really wanted some bowtruckles, I doubt they'd send us at this time."

Something rustling behind a bush that the couple was passing; Haley jumped and dug her nails into Alex's hand. "Sorry..." she said quietly, loosening her grip. She reached down, wand in her right hand, and pushed the bush aside.

A snake slithered out of the darkened leaves and brown branches; Haley caught her breath just the moment Elizabeth trundled over. The next thing she knew, there was a searing pain in her wrist. Her eyes screwed up, and the last thing she saw before she was conked out was a man towering over her, wearing long black cloaks.


	10. The Command Draught

A/N: whoops. I forgot to mention Alex had braces... my bad... but ANYWAYS, enjoy. -

Halia awoke to the smell of pine needles and fresh wood. She shook her head, which she realized was a stupid thing to do, considering she felt very lightheaded afterwards. She looked around the dimly lit house as soon as her head cleared.

The walls looked brand-new, a clean varnished wood. There were no windows; only a door sat at one end of the one room. On the other end was a brick fireplace with a crackling fire burning in it; in front of that was a round table with chairs, which sat Alex and someone with her head turned that Haley did not recognize.

"Um...hello?" Haley asked timidly. Alex looked up and grinned, revealing the green braces he had gotten in September during the four day break.

"Hail!" he exclaimed.

"Hi," before she could hold herself any longer, she blurted out "who is _she_?"

"Oh, silly me. I forgot to introduce myself," the girl who was sitting next to him turned around. Haley gaped.

The girl had long, silky red hair that was in plaits down her back. She wore a flowing white fur cloak over a baby blue set of robes; there was a gold ring set around her head, shining in the lit room. She had vibrant baby blue eyes that matched her robes, and her skin had not one blemish or freckle in it. Everything was set in the perfect place, even her ears. She was perfect, like a Mary Sue or something. She looked around her late teens.

"I'm Anna," she said, extending her perfect hand with perfect nails and long fingers. Haley just stood there, staring at it, until Alex kicked her shin and she shook Anna's hand.

"Yes, but who _are_ you?" Halia said rather rudely. _And why the hell are you here with my boyfriend while I was conked out? _She thought savagely.

"I'm the caretaker here in this forest. I've lived here since I was a mere child, years before Dumbledore's death," she said with a bit of arrogance. Haley gave a blank stare. Anna sighed. "You see, my great-great-great-great-grandfather was Godric Gryffindor."

"Yeah, and my mum is Rowena Ravenclaw," Haley said sarcastically, smirking.

"Actually, Granger, she's telling the truth," came a voice from the doorway. Looking up, Halia saw that the door had opened, and Daniel Mathoy was standing there, holding a bow and arrow.

Haley was very puzzled now.

"Okay, you guys, _please_ tell me this is a trick," she said. She looked around the room for any evidence that she was dreaming. She saw that Elizabeth was sitting in the rocking chair, asleep. She looked back at Anna, Alex, and Mathoy who had just joined them. She thought, and she thought hard.

"Anyways, as I was saying, Dumbledore sent me out here after my father, Aaron Gryffindor, died when I was 11. First year. I was, actually, in the Slytherin house." Anna went on.

Then it hit her. Anna wasn't what she seemed.

"Slytherin house, you say?" Haley questioned. "Don't more students come out of that house dark wizards then good?"

"Well, yes," she said, a slight blush starting on her cheeks. "But I decided against it. I mean, I was Anna Gryffindor, I did not want to become what my ancestor's best friend had!"

Haley narrowed her eyes. This chick was up to something, and she knew it.

"So. Shall I get you a drink, Halia?" she said hurriedly, rushing over to a cabinet on the wall. She took out a cup and ladled something from a boiling cauldron over the fire into it. Handing it to Haley, she said "drink up! Wouldn't want you to get a snake bite again!"

Haley peered into the cup. It was warm in her hands; when she looked into it, steam came up into her face. She sniffed it. It smelled okay, but the colour was what worried her. It was a vibrant pink with orange swirling around it.

"Um, what is this?" Haley asked.

"Pumpkin juice with... err...a tad bit of... strawberry! Yeah, strawberry. I forgot! Silly me," Anna replied.

"It's really good, Granger," Mathoy said. He went over to the cauldron and took a glass for himself. Haley was about to raise it to her lips when something she had learned from Professor Slughorn last year in poitons brought up in her head. Orange and pink... It was a command draught.

"Is there something wrong?" asked Anna. Haley shook her head.

"I just remembered. I'm allergic to strawberries!" she said, pretend giggling. She placed it on the table next to where Alex's hand was. Alex looked at her with a dawn of comprehension.

"Uh, where am I?" it was Elizabeth. Haley jumped and looked back at the reason she was here.

"Elizabeth!" she exclaimed.

"Shut your face, Granger. Now where the in the name of heaven am I?" she asked again. Halia rushed over to her worst rival. She probably wouldn't believe her, but it was worth a try. "Can I talk to you, outside?" she asked. Elizabeth glared at her. "Whatever."

She walked out the door with Elizabeth behind her. It was a bright and sunny morning, but it was bitter cold and the forest floor was covered in frost. Haley wrapped her cloak around herself tighter and walked to the back of the cabin where there were no windows.

"Okay. Did you see that girl with the plaits?" Haley started. Elizabeth nodded. "Well, it's a long story, but she was in Slytherin and now she's the caretaker of the Forbidden Forest. But she says she didn't go to the evil side. Anyways, Alex and Daniel are acting different, and they each took a drink from her. Are you with me?"

"Sort of..." she trailed off. Haley nodded and continued.

"She offered me one. I didn't drink it. I don't trust her. I'm not acting funny."

"So you're saying that this freak is trying to poison us with some kind of freak potion that makes you weird?"

"Not a freak potion, Mathoy. Just shut up and listen, will you? It's a Command Draught. Just like the Imperuis Curse, except in potion form and less painful."

"Isn't that, like, an illegal potion?" Elizabeth said. Haley sighed and rolled her eyes.

"Of course it is, Mathoy. How blonde can you be? What I'm trying to tell you is don't drink it, otherwise we're basically dead. Because once under that potion-"

Elizabeth cut her off. "You must do what the maker of the potion says." Elizabeth tucked a piece of hair behind her ear.

"Of course." At this moment, Anna came strolling around the corner.

"Elizabeth! Halia! We were waiting for you!" she exclaimed.

"Oh, so sorry," Haley replied, brushing past Anna and going around the corner. She could hear Elizabeth's feet follow briskly behind.

She went through the doorway, Elizabeth and Anna following.

"Here, I'll get you something warm to drink," Anna started, bustling over toward the cauldron again. Haley gave Elizabeth an I-told-you-so look. Elizabeth returned it with an exasperated sigh.

Anna turned around, a smug smile on her perfect face, and handed the glass of the draught to Elizabeth.

"Drink it up, it's real great!" Alex said, inching closer to Elizabeth. Haley felt her insides flare. Anna had set Alex up to this, and she knew it. Elizabeth looked at Haley for a second over her glass, then over at Anna.

"What's this made with?" she asked.

"Pumpkin and strawberries," Anna answered quickly.

"Oh. No thanks, I don't really like anything with pumpkin," she said, placing the glass next to where Halia's full one sat, still steaming. Anna narrowed her eyes.

"Drink it now," it was a voice different from her smooth Scottish accent. It was rough, and sounded like it came from a different being, a non-human one. Haley jumped, started at this change. Anna coughed.

"Oh, um, please excuse me. Jus t a little frog in my throat!" she exclaimed. Haley could see her eyes flash red as her cheeks turned pink. "Daniel, would you please get me a glass of water?" she said sweetly, turning to the male Mathoy twin. He grinned and walked over to the sink to get a glass.

"Drop the act now," Haley said, drawing out her wand and pointing it at Anna. Her eyes slowly turned red.

"What act would you be talking about, Halia?" she replied, trying to keep her accent the same, but failing.

"I mean your oh-so-perfect act," Haley continued strongly, even though she was scared half to death. "You think I'm so stupid as to actually not know what that draught was. A Command Draught. You ought to have been smarter. You could have fed it to me while I was sleeping, I wouldn't have said I was allergic to strawberries."

Anna narrowed her now-red eyes.

"You _are_ a bright one…your boyfriend, he warned me of that. He wouldn't quit ranting about you, it was Haley this, Halia that. Got quite annoying until I gave him the potion and he shut up about you. Get that thing away from me, will you?" she snapped, trying to get Haley's wand away from her face.

"No. Now what do you want with us, and who's descendant are you really?"

"I am a Gryffindor," she whispered in that hoarse voice. "Just gone to the bad side."

Haley smiled, satisfied with her luck.

"What do you want with us, then?" she asked.

"That," Anna said, reaching into one of her pockets, "is something I cannot tell you." She brought her hand from her pocket; she now was holding a wand.

Haley acted first. She took two steps backwards and shouted, wand pointed at Alex, "Disencommand!" There was a flash of white light and then a gagging sound.

"Haley!" he coughed, "she's not what you think she is!"

"I know! Grab your wand and get the hell out!" she said.

"Expelliarmuis!" Anna shouted just as Alex grabbed his wand. His wand fell right next to Haley; Anna jumped for it, but Halia stepped on her hand. "Ow!" she said, standing up and cradling her hand. Haley grabbed the wand and threw it back to Alex. Quickly she performed the same spell she used to get Alex off of the draught on Daniel; he snapped to reality and grabbed his sister's arm, running through the door like a maniac.

"No!" Anna shouted as Alex and Haley started for the door. "Sectumsempra!" she shouted.

"CLOSE THE DOOR!" Haley panted. Alex ran out and shut it, and the curse rebounded off the door, towards the master of the curse. Halia flung open the door and ran out into the cold air. Alex was standing there, waiting for her.

"Run, I have a feeling she knows a counter curse for it," Haley panted. Alex nodded, and without speaking started sprinting towards the opening of the woods.

The couple didn't stop running until they were right at the castle steps. Haley stopped abruptly, which was a bad idea, seeing as she fell backwards onto the damp grass.

"I-can't-breath-at-all," she gasped.

"Neither…can…I," Alex said, panting for air.

"I…wonder where…the twins went," Haley managed.

"I have no…no clue."

"Granger! Edgecombe! Where have you been? We searched the whole forest for you last night!" it was the headmistress, bustling out of the castle doors, a part mad, part relived look on her face.

"Professor! Anna Gryffindor-in the forest-tried to practically kill us!" Haley said, pulling herself up.

"Oh, dear God…I knew she'd turn on us one day," she said. "Is she coming?"

"We think so," Alex piped in, standing next to Halia.

"Don't just stand here! We have to lock the castle!" McGonagall told them, pushing them inside. Haley shook her head. _My life just keeps getting weirder and weirder…_


	11. Floo Powder and Gryffindor Files

A/N: OMG! I finally manage an update! YEAHH. Enjoy.

Disclaimer: yada yada yada… I don't own Harry Potter. Isn't that sad?

Halia took Alex's hand as they followed the headmistress into the castle. She rushed to lock the main door behind them.

"Up to the common room. Go, now," Professor McGonagall said hurriedly, pushing the couple's backs towards one of the staircases. "I need to have a meeting with the teachers. Don't leave the common room and tell everyone what happened."

Haley and Alex ran up the stairs and up another in silence until they reached Ravenclaw tower. They said the password and entered quietly, still not speaking.

No one was in the common room except Sherry, who was sprawled out in the same chair she was the night before, her legs hanging over the right arm and her head hanging from the left. The bag of green powder she had withdrawn earlier was sitting by the fire, still full.

"Sherry," Haley whispered. "Wake up!" Sherry snored in reply. Haley kicked her shin sharply. She sat up straight.

"Whadda want, I was just sleeping…" she mumbled angrily, rubbing sleep from her eyes.

"Wake up, sleepyhead. We've discovered something," Alex replied, sitting down cross-legged on the fireplace hearth, next to the bag of powder.

"What, what happened?" Sherry asked, suddenly not tired.

Haley sighed, took her seat on Alex's lap, and told the tale that happened in the forest. Sherry sat, opened-mouthed, and listened.

"Oh…my. Oh my God," was all Sherry could say once Haley concluded the part about running out of the forest and losing the twins. "Now we really need to talk to Harry, Hermione, and Ron."

"Do you think they'll be up this early?" Alex asked, gently moving Halia off his lap and onto the rug below the hearth. _Wow he's strong_, Haley thought distractedly. Alex stood up and stretched.

"Cha, with Luna pregnant, they're all probably up until ten a.m., at least," Sherry replied. She got out of her chair and took the bag of; Haley figured it was, Floo Powder. Silently Sherry looked around the large common room to see if anyone was there; no one was, so she took a pinch out of the bag and threw it into the still-flaming fire.

"Willow Apartments 332, London, England!" she shouted. The fire turned green and swirled around and around until a face appeared there.

It was Hermione. Her eyes looked tired, and her hair tousled, but she still looked pretty in the green light from the fire.

"Y-y-y-yes?" she asked, covering her mouth as she yawned.

"Did we wake you?" Haley asked sympathetically.

"Hell, no," Hermione said. "Luna's been keeping us up for days now. Always complaining about how much she can't sleep. Always waking up screaming that she thinks her water broke. Now Whadda want?"

"Oh. Well… we kind of have a problem over here," Haley said, taking a breath, getting ready to explain the whole story again, but even before the forest part.

"Okay," Hermione said, puzzled. She yawned again.

"Wait… why don't I just explain it to all of you guys in person?" Halia questioned.

"Ooh, no, you won't," it wasn't Hermione; it was Alex. Haley turned around.

"And why not?" she asked.

"All the way to London without getting caught?" he said, baffled by the idea.

"We have floo powder."

"Well… yeah. But I don't want you to go!"

"It's not gonna hurt anything, sweetie. Just for five minutes."

"Well…" Alex started. Haley gave him the puppy face, complete with round green eyes. He looked at her. "Okay. But don't be too long because McGonagall's meeting should be over soon, and she might come up here. I don't want you getting caught."

"Thank you!" Haley exclaimed, kissing him long on the lips. "Okay, get outta the fire Hermione. I'm coming over there…"

She took a larger handful of the floor powder. Hermione was already out of it. "I love you Alex," she said before she threw the handful into the fire and stepped in. "See you soon." She was gone in a whirlwind of warm green fire.

Halia stepped out into Hermione's London flat. Coughing and wiping ash from her cloak (which she still wore from being in the forest), she looked around.

Everyone was in there; the very pregnant Luna, who was up and about, making a large breakfast; Hermione, who was sitting right next to the fire in a chair, her hair in a messy bun on the top of her head; Ron, was wasn't actually awake and was sitting at the kitchen counter with his head on the counter, snoring; Ginny, who was lying on the couch, yawning as she chewed on a granola bar; and Harry, who had just gotten out of his bedroom, in a bathrobe.

"Oh, hello, Halia!" Luna said, turning around and facing the 13-year-old girl. "Would you like some breakfast?"

"Err. Sure… I really don't have a long time though," she said. Luna shrugged it off and went to a cupboard to take a plate out for the food.

"What did you have to t-t-t-tell," Hermione paused and yawned, "us in person?"

"Well, it's a long story," Halia replied, taking a seat at the counter next to the sleeping Ron, as Luna set her plate down. Halia took a bite of one of the omelets on the plate, and started her long story.

By the end, everyone was alert and staring at Haley, including Ron, who had woken up in the middle of the story.

"That's it," Hermione said. "We're going over there. Ronald, you can stay with Luna because she's defiantly not in the condition to go traveling; Ginny and Harry, you're coming with me. We have to talk to the headmistress…" she went over to the closet next to the doorway and took out three coats.

"Here… we probably will be going outside. Hail, go back to the common room and tell whoever's in there that I'm coming."

Halia gaped. Her sister was coming to Hogwarts? WHY? She opened her mouth, about to protest, but her sister pulled her off her kitchen stool, pushed her into the fireplace hearth and threw a handful of Floo powder from the kitchen counter into the fire itself.

"Her-" Hermione started, but was cut of because Harry had opened the fireplace doors and pushed her into it. The swirling of the fire resumed and two seconds later Haley fell out onto the hearth of the fireplace in the Ravenclaw common room. She coughed hard; that sudden push into the fire hadn't been very nice. She rubbed at her eyes, which had gotten a bit of ash in them.

"Haley, Haley what happened?" it was Alex's voice. He tilted her head up because it was facing the floor; now it was looking straight at his face.

"They're coming here," Haley said, coughing again. "Harry pushed me straight into the fire…"

Standing up, she said, "They should be here in a few seconds. They have to see the headmistress."

"But… why?" Sherry asked, and Haley was about to answer when the fire turned a bright green and Harry walked out of it.

"Hello again. Sherry," he hugged his little sister and kissed her head. She blushed. "Haley… it seems like I just saw you two seconds ago. And who's your little friend?"

It was Haley's turn to blush. He was looking at Alex, sizing him over. Haley was about to answer _this_ question, when there was another flash of green light and Hermione stepped out onto the hearth, her shirt covered in ash. She wiped the ash off and set down the two coats she was holding in her arm. She gave a little wave to Sherry. Sherry grinned and waved back.

"Okay. Is Professor McGonagall in the same old office?" Hermione asked to no one in particular.

"Yes, yes. I'll … bring you over there," Haley said hurriedly, attempting to push Hermione out of the common room before she noticed Alex. Harry shook his head and nudged Haley. She looked at him for a second. He mouthed "your boyfriend, is he?" to her.

She pursed her lips, and stopped trying to push Hermione out of the portrait hole. Putting her hands on her hips, she said, "Yes, Harry, he_ is_ my boyfriend. So shut up." Realizing what she just said, she flung her hand over her mouth.

Hermione glanced at the only younger boy in the room; Alex. He was standing there, smiling his green-braced smile, blush creeping up his cheek.

"Heh… um, this is my sister and her… best friend Harry. See you've met. Okay let's go," Haley tried to cover it, but Hermione was already distracted and had walked over to Alex. Harry took his place on the other side of him. He was surrounded.

"So, what's your name?" Harry started. Alex mumbled it. "Alex… what's your background? How did you get to Hogwarts? How many girlfriends have you had?" Harry started firing off many questions at the third year. Finally Hermione made him stop and kicked his shin.

"Kay, let's go…" Haley said. Harry and Hermione actually listened, and followed Haley out of the common room portrait. Sherry and Alex followed behind, not wanting to be left alone.

They got to the staff room, which all five thought was where McGonagall would be. Harry knocked softly on the door; it opened two seconds later. Professor McGonagall was standing there.

"Harry Potter, Hermione Granger! How did you get here?" she asked.

"Not the point," Hermione replied.

"Defiantly. We're here to help the Anna Gryffindor problem. We know all about her…"

"You do? Well then what are you doing out there? You three, Edgecombe, Granger, Potter; go back to the common room. You don't need to know about this problem," McGonagall said sternly. Halia signed and beckoned the other two around the corner.

"Shh. We'll listen in, just wait till the door closes!" she whispered. They heard the door click; sneaking along the corridor, they stopped at the gargoyle outside of the staff room and took their places on the floor along the crack of the door.

"…Ginny should be here soon, she had to find the Gryffindor file in the Ministry, back from last year when I was working on it with my mentor," came Hermione's voice.

"But do you know anything about here without the files?" one of the teachers asked.

"Oh, yes. Scarcely, though. It was last year and we haven't heard much about her. All we knew was she was somewhere in Scotland. We knew wrong, though. Oh! There's Ginny with the files now!" Hermione replied. Apparently Ginny had just appeared in the fire.

"Sorry, it took me a while to even get to the ministry with Luna begging me to stay… Okay anyways. Here are the files," came the breathless voice of Ginny. The three teenagers outside of the door heard silence next, except for the rustle of parchments as the file was being shifted through.

A scream erupted, followed by "oh my God," from Harry. Haley watched shadows in the light under the door, then the knob being turned. She quickly got up and ran out of the way.

"Okay, everyone search the castle. You-go to the dorms and tell everyone what has happened. Hermione and Harry, you come with me. GRANGER, EDGECOMBE, POTTER! DO YOU WANT A DETENTION? GET OUT OF HERE NOW!" McGonagall shouted, spotting the three standing at corner of the corridor. Haley immediately turned around and ran up the nearest staircase… not to the common room; it was the way to the shortcut to the grounds.

A/N: cliffy. Duh. I'll get chapter twelve out ASAP.


End file.
